In the continuation of the trial in Belgrade of Sreten Jocic, Zeljko Milovanovic and Milenko Kuzmanovic for the murder of the co-owner of Croatian political weekly Nacional, Ivo Pukanic, and his business associate, Niko Franjic, the third defendant Kuzmanovic completed his opening statement, again pleading not guilty to the charges.
The next hearing was set for July 8, when the parties will begin presenting evidence.
Presiding Judge Vladimir Vucinic said that during the presentation of evidence, the court would first hear the witnesses from Belgrade, after which it would hear the witnesses from Zagreb, most probably via video link.
The trial chamber granted the motion submitted by Jocic's defence counsel that the court should also hear representatives of Pukanic's and Franjic's families.
Pukanic and Franjic were killed by a car bomb outside the Nacional building in central Zagreb in October 2008. Franjic was a collateral victim. Six people are on trial in Croatia for their murder, including the first defendant Robert Matanic.
"I have never seen Jocic before, nor has he ever been a subject of conversation between Matanic and me. I never heard any of the people I saw with Matanic mention Nacional or Pukanic," Kuzmanovic said in his defence.
Responding to the remark by deputy prosecutor Jovica Jovanovic about inconsistencies in Kuzmanovic's statement given to the police after his arrest and those later given to the investigating judge, the accused explained that he was trying in every way possible to prove that he had nothing to do with the crime he was charged with and that his thoughts were chaotic as he was trying to realise what was going on.
Previously, Jocic and Milovanovic had also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Sreten Jocic, also known as Joca Amsterdam, Zeljko Milovanovic and Milenko Kuzmanovic were indicted in October 2009 for conspiracy to commit crime and for murder in the first degree. They allegedly murdered Pukanic for a reward of at least 1.5 million euros.
